Dental floss holder



Jan. 29, 1929. I 1,700,550

. E. G. STAFFORD DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER Original Filed Dec. 9; 1926 4 /////////I j l atboznu;

amen [oz Patented Jan. 29, 1929.

ETHEL e. STAFFORD, or BRADENTON, FLORIDA,

DENTAL rLoss HOLDER. 7

Application filed December 9, 1926, Serial No. 153,672. Renewed June 18, 1928.

I This invention relates to dental floss holders of that type which includes-a supply of floss within a container adapted to be drawn out and stretched betweena as used for dental purposes.

The main Ob ect of my invention pair of supports,

is to provide a novel-means for a device of this char actor wherein the floss after being drawn from thocontainenand affixed in positionon one of the supports can be tightlystret'ched and held in that .position't'oruse. Another object is to provide a spool or bobbin within the container for holding the floss and furnish novel means whereby the bobbin may be positively rotated to tightly stretch the floss for use and then fix the bobbin with respect to such container but at the same time will permit the floss to be readily'drawn from the bobbin on occasion.

Still another object is to provide a corn struction wherein the bobbin may have end wise shifting movement whereby any par-' ticular Zone from which the floss is being drawn will lie opposite the place from which the floss is drawn for use. v

Besides these objects the invention is "dii'ected to certain details of construction whereby the above objects may be attained, In the appended drawing which sh ows two preferred forms of the invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of the forms with parts broken away to show the interior arrangement;

Figure 2 is a plan of certain parts shown in Figure 1.v

Figure 3 parts.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section ofa portion of one ofthe parts shown in the previous figures. A

Figure 5 is an elevation of parts indicated in Figure 1 together with another'pa rt shown end elevation of part of a support orlarin; I

. s o thereon. shows the underside of the same n bobbin 17 having in any suitable or desired manner in the same,

shown in Figure '10,.inuch enlarged; In respect to the .flrst nine figures of the drawingl 1s a member having two spaced supports or arms 2, 3 extendin'glaterally therefrom, the arm S'in this instance having 1 an aperture therein through which to draw the flossi'ndicated at 1 while the arm 2 as shown in "Figure 9 may haVe a V-shaped notch 5 in its extremity in whichto place the floss. Just beneath the-"notchuis a button 6 about which the floss inayTbe Woundafter Figure'12 is a longitudinalsection ot' parts 1 drawing it through the said notch, said buturel and as indicated in broken lines insaid Figure 9, about which to wind said floss.

The member 1 terminates in an eXte-nsion8 which may have a'tapered bore 9, Figure t, to receive onee'nd of a tubular handle-p01 tion 10, said endbeing tapered to'fit snugly into said: tapered bo're 9, Figure 1, the two portions 8 and 10 being thus se'curely held relatively. However,- in addition, I may make use of anangular slot 11 in the extenslon 8, Figure 3, and fix a p1n'12 in the'handleton having a reduced neck? as shown in Fig-' -"portion 10 to engage in said slot, it being uuderstood that I may use either method dc-' i scribed; or both. The outer end'oft-the tubular handle eXteriorly threaded, not shown,-

to receive a threaded cap 13 to screw tightly -A shaft is designatedat 14, one

end of which is normally seated in a socket 15' of the member 1 disposed centrally of the bore 9 thereof, therebeing a key-way16in and extending along said shaft. A spool-or is slidable-along tli extension 19 to engage in said key-Way. The" eter to provide a shoulder 20,the reduced end 9o central bore-18, FigureS, e-shaft'and has a suitable 4 v opposite endof the shaft is reduced'in oliamof onset such passing through the mentioned cap 13, free toturn therein, and atliXed at its extremity" of the shaft, adapted to enter any one of a the head series of grooves 23 in the face of the said cap.

The spool or bobbin 17 is provided with windings of the floss, the extremity of the latter extending through the wall of the bandle 10, in this instance, by providing a slot 10 in the latter, Figure 2, and there may be a notch 10 in the extension 8 to register with" the said slot. When the handle and member are assembled the slot at its bottom, and the said notch provide an opening through which the floss may be drawn without being pinched when the mentioned parts are firmly engaged.

The manner of operation, is as follows: The wound bobbin is insertedinto the socket 9 and the end of the floss drawn therefrom is threaded through the aperture 4 and secured upon the arm 2 by dropping it into the notch 5 and securely winding it upon the button 6 so that it cannot slip, whereupon the handle is seated in. the socket 9 taking care that the slot- 10 of the latter receives into it the floss where it extends from the bobbin to the arm 3. Following this the shaft having the cap and head all permanently assembled, is inserted into the handle and into the bore 18 of the bobbin, the extension 19 of the latter being made to enter the keyway 16, of course, and the shaft having been seated in the socket is held in place by screwing the. cap 13 in place. I

Since the shaft is now in control of the bobbin that member may be rotated to draw the floss tightly across the arms 2, 3 provided the ribs or fins 22 of the head 21 are dis engaged from the grooves 23 of the cap 13. The floss having been stretched to the desired degree said fins may be now engaged with said grooves, or one of them rather,

and the floss is thus held tightly stretched,

The depth of the socket 15 is of course sufficient to permit the shaft to have enough end play without leaving the same.

The permanent assembly of the shaft, cap and head is due to the fact that the shoulder at one side and the head at the other side of the cap prevents the latter being lost, there being suflicient play of the shaft through the cap to provide the required movement of the head with respect to said cap. 7

Itis to be noted that since the bobbin is free to shift along the shaft in either direction the floss as it unwinds will gradually cause such shifting. That part or Zone of the bobbin from which the floss is being drawn may thus always lie beneath the opening created by the slot 10 and notch 10 That is to say, said bobbin will travel practically its full length back and forth along the shaft as may be understood by referring to Figures 1 and 2. v 7

1n the last thr e figures of the drawing the same ideas are included, making use, hon

ever, of a slightly different form of device and wherein 24: is the member corresponding to 1 of the earlier figures while the handle 25 which is not necessarily hollow has a cavitied' enlargement 26, the bore of such cavity lying transversely of said handle in this in stance.

ment for closing the cavity and a shaft 28 shouldered at 29 as before carries a bobbin 30 slidable therealong and constructed as in Figure 8 to engage the key-way 81. A head 32 on the shaft has a pin 33 to engage the groove 84 of the cap as in the first instance. The floss extends from the bobbin to the arms of the member 24 through an aperture 35 in the wall of the enlargement 26, and as in the first form described the bobbin is free to shift along the shaft to always properly present the floss to the aperture 35. clip 25 may be securedon the handle 25 for convenience in attaching the device to the pocket of a garment. I r The device in either of its form may be made of any desired material though that of a non-metallic nature is, of course, preferable so far, at least, as the parts 1 and 24 are concerned, using celluloid or kindred substance. 7

From what has been described and shown A threaded cap 27 screws upon the enlarge- 7 ill) it is clear that the floss may be positively controlled at all times. When first the floss is bridged across the arms and secured in either form of device it can be drawn tightly and secured through the instrumentality of the described tins and grooves. And at any time while in use the tightening operation may be 7 resorted to for taking up slack due to stretchmg of the floss. when desired to expose an unused portion of the floss across the arms 2, 3 the head 21 is shiftedto disengage its fins I whereupon the bobbin is free to turn and after fastening the end of the floss the tightening and securing can again be resorted to.

I wish to state that it is not my wish to be confined to the exact structures shown and described but have shown preferred forms merely, though the structure illustrated will form the subject of some ofthe claims to follow. I

I claim:

1. A dental floss holder including a handle and a pair of arms between which to stretch the floss, a bobbin for holding windings of the floss, a shaft carrying the bobbin and having positive control of the same, and means separate from the handle for fixing the shaft with respect to the handle, said bobbin being free to shift upon theshaft in a direc tion paralleling its'axis of rotation as the floss 'is drawn therefrom.- e

2. A dental floss holder including a handle portion and a pair of arms between to stretch the floss, a bobbin concealed in the handle for holding windings of the floss, a support for the bobbin controlling the same, there being an outlet for the floss in said handle, at a point between the ends of the bobbin an external part in position to be grasped for rotating the support, and means to fix the part with respect to said handle, said bobbin being free to shift on the support in a directionfparalleling its'axis of rotation and with respect to the said outlet of the handle. I

3. A dental floss holder including a handle, a pair of arms fixed with respect to the handle across which to stretch the floss, a bobbin in the handle to hold windings of the floss, an operating part in position to be grasped and indirect engagement with the bobbin for rotating the same, said bobbin and said part being normally'free to rotate, and means to fix the operating part and the bobbin with respect to the handle, said bobbin being free to shift parallel to its axis of rotation with respect to said operating part. 7 p

4:. Adental floss holder including a handle, a bobbin for holding'windings of thefloss, an arm fixed with respect to the handle to which the floss is attachable, operating means in positive control of the bobbin for stretching the floss between it and the arm, and means to fix the'operating means with respect to the handle, said bobbin being free to shift-in one direction with respect to the operating means. 5. A dental floss holder including a handle,

a a bobbin within the handle for holding windings of the floss, an arm fixed with respect to the handle to which the floss is attachable,

( operatingmeans on which the bobbin is carried and by which it is rotated, said bobbin bemg free to change its pos1t1on along and with respect to said operating means, and means separate from the handle to secure the operat-.

ing means with respect to-the handle.

6. A dental floss holder including a handle, a bobbin in said handle for holding windings of the floss, an arm extending from thehandle to which the floss is attachable, there being an opening in the, handle through which the floss extends from said bobbin to said arm, operating means in positive engagement with the bobbin for rotating the same, and means to fix said operating means with respect to the handle, said bobbin being free to change its position in one direction with respect to said opening in the handle irrespective of the operating means.

7. A dental floss holder including a handle, a bobbin for holding windings of the floss, an

said shaft adapted to be manually rotated, and means to the shaft with respect to the handle. V

8. A dental floss holder including a hollow handle, a shaft extending longitudinally 'endwise shifting movement through said handleandincluding at onei'e'n'd it graspin -ti h b g a Socket; in the I handle inwhich the other end of the shaft is rotatable, means to secure the shaft with respect to the handle, and a bobbin keyed on the shaft and freely shiftable along theflsame, 9. A dental floss holder including a hollow handle having an outlet: for floss, a shaft ex floss, said bobbin being held from rotation with respect to said shaft.

10. In a dental floss holder, a member ineluding a bore, a tubular handle insertable at one end therein and havmg an openmg in ts wall, there being a socket in said member at y the bottom of the bore, a cap adapted for closing the opposite end of the handle, a shaft. extending-through the cap and seated in said socket and shiftable endwise in both, a head on the shaft outside the cap, means to fix the hold windings of the vflos keyed-on the shaft, said bobbin being free to shift along said shaft with respect to thesaid opening of the handle.

11. A dental floss holder including a member having a bore, one ofthe walls created by the bore having an angular recess openingthrough the end of the member, the latter having a bore of smaller diameter in the bottom of the first named bore, atubular part adapted to enter the said first named bore and having a lateralextension to engage in the recess by a rotary movement of the part, there-being a notch in the end of the member and in the end of the partadapted to register-when the memher and part are assembled leaving an openmg, a, shaft extending through the tubular part adapted to seat in the described smaller bore,a floss holdingbobbin carried by and rotatable with the shaft and adapted to have I thereon opposite the opening, a cap engageable with the outer end of the tubular part, the said shaft extending therethrough, and'a head on the shaft'outside the cap, the latter and said head having complementary portions adapted to be engaged whereby to fix the two namedelements relatively. arm extending from the handle to which the 12. A dental floss holder including a'niernber having a bore,

head with respect to the cap, and a bobbin to s, t the same being i one of the walls created bythe w bore having an angular recess opening through the end of the member, the latter having a bore of smaller diameter in the bottom'of the first named bore, a tubular part-adapted to enter the said first named bore and having a ,7 i

lateral extension to engage in the recess by a rotary movement of the part, there being a notch 1n the end of the memberand in the end Lil.

ing, a cap engageable with the outer end of 7 the tubular part, the said shaft extending therethrough, and a head on the shaft outside the cap, the latter and said head having; complementary portions adapted to be engaged whereby to fix the two named elements relatively in selective positions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. ETHEL G. STAFFORIl 

